Method and apparatus for measuring expended energy

ABSTRACT

Measuring expended energy of a moving body by providing at least one first sensor for measuring position data of a first part of the moving body, providing at least one second sensor for measuring relative position data of a second part of the moving body, using the first sensor to make a first measurement of the position of the first part over a period of time and subsequently calculating a global expended energy of the first part relative to a reference frame from the first measurement, using the second sensor to make a second measurement of the position of the second part over said period of time and subsequently calculating a relative expended energy of the second part relative to the first part from the first and second measurements.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/125,972, which was filed Dec. 13, 2013 and was a national stageapplication under 35 U.S.C. §371 of PCT International Application SerialNo. PCT/GB2012/051396, which has an international filing date of Jun.18, 2012, designates the United States of America, and claims thebenefit of GB Application No. 1110217.5, which was filed on Jun. 16,2011. The disclosures of each of these prior applications are herebyexpressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.

SUMMARY

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for measuring expendedenergy, and in particular to a method and apparatus for measuring totalexpended energy by measuring external work done and internal work doneof a moving body, such as an exercising person.

BACKGROUND

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is characterised by insulin resistancewhich may be combined with relatively reduced insulin secretion. In theearly stage of T2D, the predominant abnormality is reduced insulinsensitivity. The risk of developing T2D is largely due to lifestylefactors most notably lack of physical activity and poor diet.

Insulin resistance is characterised by an abnormal regulation of bloodglucose concentration leading to excess amounts of glucose circulatingthe body and a failure of biochemical reactions at the skeletal muscleto utilise the energy source. The role of insulin in stimulating thetransport of glucose across the muscle cell membrane via activation ofthe glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) is crucial for allowing glucoseuptake, however, in diabetic patients, failure to produce insulin in thepancreas leads to diminished amounts of insulin transported into theblood stream (Turcotte & Fisher, 2008). As skeletal muscle is the mostresponsive to insulin and the main source of blood glucose clearing, itis essential that skeletal muscle is stimulated in the most efficientway to ‘dispose’ of the excess glucose in the blood by physicalexercise.

The onset of exercise increases glucose transport at working muscles bystimulating GLUT4 from within the muscle cell to the surface of the cellwhich causes a number of metabolic changes, the most important beingincreased glucose uptake (Lund et al., 1995). During the onset ofexercise, intra-muscular, readily available stores of energy (glycogen)are utilised as the primary source for muscle contraction, this leads tothe recruitment of the Krebs cycle to, in basic terms, recycle energy byadditional glucose and sustained oxygen consumption (aerobicglycolysis), however, anaerobic exercise relies heavily on increasedstores on muscle glycogen as a result of training and replenishes storespost exercise as stimulation of muscle glucose uptake persists for anextended period of time post-exercise. Glycogen repletion ischaracterised by a marked and persistent increase in insulin action(Richter, 1996). Based on this premise, it is important to understandwhich exercise parameters (intensity, duration, frequency and mode) andthe characteristics of the individual (presence of disease, fitness andgenetic pre-dispositions) are most beneficial to maximising adaptationsto the cells involved with muscle glucose clearing (Sigel et al., 2004),especially in diabetic patients.

There is evidence to suggest that endurance and resistance exercisetraining lead to adaptations specific to that training regime. Enduranceexercise training allows skeletal muscle to utilise O2 and blood-bornefuels, whereas resistance training leads to improvements in forcegeneration (muscle hypertrophy and contractile properties). Bothtraining approaches lead to increased muscle GLUT4 which probablycontributes to the increased capacity for insulin-stimulated glucosetransport in trained subjects which has implications forinsulin-resistant patients (Sigal et al., 2004). Furthermore, bothtraining mechanisms are similar with relation to increased glucosedisposal, however, resistance training has the advantage by increasingmuscle mass (and therefore glucose storage space) (Holten et al., 2004;Ivy, 2002), but also increase mitochondrial function and density whichhas been found in elderly subjects or potentially diabetes sufferers(Jubrais et al., 2001). Emerging data on the outcome of differentresistance training protocols can conflict, a single session reducedglucose infusion rate during an insulin clamp, however no decrease orincrease occurred when 3 sessions were performed (Howlett et al., 2007).Conversely, 1 session (3 sets, 8-12 reps during 8 exercises) decreasedthe glucose area under the curve during an oral glucose tolerance testby ˜12% compared to pre-exercise levels, 24 hours after exercise in T2Dwomen (Fenicchia et al., 2004).

Other studies have shown a 15% increase compared to control groupfollowing 3 sets×10 rep.max in upper and lower body exercise during oralglucose tolerance test (6 hours post exercise (Venables et al., 2007).Another resistance training protocol yielded similar results (13% higherglucose absorption) following 8×10 reps at 75% of 1 rep.max after aninsulin injection given 24 hours post exercise (Koopman et al., 2005).Results from a study by Babraj et al, (2009) found that following a 2week high intensity training program of cycle sprint training against7.5% body weight reduced the area under the plasma glucose by 12%. Asimilar protocol to Babraj found that sprint interval training (against7.5% body weight) increased muscle glycogen content by ˜50% whichsuggests this form of exercise is capable of inducing post-exerciseglucose absorption in diabetic patients.

The American College of Sports Medicine (AGSM) recommends a resistancetraining regime for T2D individuals whenever possible including 8-10exercises involving major muscle groups with a minimum of 1 set of 10-15reps to near fatigue. This regime can be altered to increase the numberof sets or the intensity of exercise in certain individuals, this datawas published prior to studies by Dunstand et al (2002) and Castaneda etal (2002) who found significant results following 3 sets of 8-10repetitions of >85% 1 rep.max which should be advocated into furtherstudies. Although 1 set may increase muscular strength, it appears thatthree or more sets of resistance training may produce greater metabolicbenefit in type 2 diabetic patients (Sigel et al., 2004).

An area for consideration with regards to resistance training is thetype of muscular action performed as evidence has shown that eccentricmuscle contractions (muscle lengthening, e.g. elbow extension against aresistance) may actually damage the muscle and inhibit a metabolicadaptation. For instance, 30 mins of down-hill running caused a 36%decline in insulin-stimulated glucose disposal 48 hours after exercise(Kirwan et al., 1992). Likewise 2 days following intense one-leggedeccentric exercise (4 sets knee extension/flexion, 5 mins per set usingan isokinetic dynamometer) resulted in a decline in muscle GLUT 4content and 15% decrease in glucose infusion rate during an insulinclamp (Asp et al., 1996).

Implications for high resistance exercise using weights may beacceptable for young individuals or those with longstanding diabetes.Moderate weight training programs that utilize light weights and highrepetitions can be used for maintaining or enhancing upper body strengthin nearly all patients with diabetes (Turcotte & Fisher, 2008). Currentrecommendations for improving glycemic control involve performingmoderate to vigorous intensity aerobic and resistance exercise forseveral hours per week (American Diabetes Association, 2008; Lakka etal., 2007). However, the general population fails to follow such regimesdue to lack of time, motivation and adherence (Godin et al., 1994),therefore resistance training in a manageable form (such as exergaming)may provide beneficial adaptations which are more appealing to widerpublic population.

As discussed above, it is accepted that exercise reduces the risk ofdeveloping T2D. Indeed, the promotion of exercise is a cost-effectivestrategy of reducing the risk of people developing T2D in a population.It is also recognised that achieving a healthy balance between energyinput and energy expenditure is an important factor in reducing the riskof developing T2D. There has been much work on developing methods ofmeasuring energy expenditure which have been important in helping theunderstanding of the relationship between physical activity and health.It is recognised that regular and accurate self-monitoring of energyexpenditure in the free-living environment can provide importantfeedback to a patient, thereby increasing self-awareness which is theprerequisite for healthy decision making and long-term lifestyle change.

The, location and type of muscle loading and intensity and duration areall important parameters in the prevention of T2D. At present, there areseveral known ways of measuring energy expenditure but these aregenerally focussed on the calorific energy intensity (termed EE) of thewhole body. While such data is vital in terms of measuring caloriesburned, levels of exercise intensity and duration during free-living,the prior art systems are not configured to give specific energy-relatedinformation corresponding to the movement of specific, individual partsof the body. Simply taking a systemic measure of overall calories usedwill generally not be sufficient to quantify the potential benefits ofexercise, and will therefore not be sufficient to maximise the potentialbenefits of future exercise interventions.

The number of calories a person burns is an important and actionableparameter for many applications and disease conditions. These includemetabolic disorders, weight control (loss, gain, or maintenance), sportsperformance, and body composition changes. True total energy expenditure(TEE) is a much more useful parameter but is very difficult to measure,and all known techniques make use of approximations of one kind oranother, and/or are impractical due to the nature of data collection. Anoverview of the techniques for measuring energy expenditure can be foundin Andre at al., 2007. Known techniques include indirect calorimetry,the use of doubly labelled water, or the use of heart rate monitors,pedometers, global positioning system (GPS) monitors, accelerometers,multisensor devices or multilocation devices. Each of these prior artsystems and methods are described below.

Indirect Calorimetry

Indirect calorimetry measures the oxygen and carbon dioxide that aperson inhales and exhales and indirectly determines the calories burnedduring a given period. This method is undertaken in laboratoryconditions using a metabolic cart and is widely regarded in the researchcommunity as a standard measurement method, presently. However, mostmetabolic carts for indirect calorimetry measurements are large andbulky and are not suited for monitoring outside the laboratory setting.In addition, the required devices are expensive, costing in the regionof $20,000 for a basic system, although more portable, less costlymetabolic carts have now become available. Typically, however, portablesystems have higher error rates compared with their larger stationarycounterparts. Both stationary and portable metabolic carts require theuser to breathe through a mouthpiece or mask and are usually used in alaboratory.

Doubly Labelled Water (DLW)

The DLW stable isotope method is based on the principle that in aloading dose of ²H₂ ¹⁸O given to a subject, ¹⁸O is eliminated from thebody as CO₂ and water, while deuterium is eliminated from the body aswater. The rate of CO₂ production, and, thus, energy expenditure, iscalculated from the difference of the two elimination rates. Thesubjects give urine and saliva specimens before and after drinking aninitial dose of DLW and then give a final urine specimen 1 to 2 weekslater. During the period between initial and final samplings, subjectsare free to carry out their normal activities. This is a safe procedure,as the isotopes are stable and emit no radiation. Limitations of the DLWmethod include a high cost (41500/person), the need for specializedequipment and expertise to implement the techniques. Additionally, themethod can only be used to measure expenditure over a long period oftime (e.g., 10-14 days). DLW has an error rate of about 5% over a 2-weekperiod because of starting and ending conditions.

Heart Rate Monitors

Heart rate (HR) is one of the fundamental vital signs and is related tothe level of physical exertion. A person's HR increases linearly withoxygen consumption, especially for moderate to strenuous activity. HRmonitoring is quite common and is often used as part of an exerciseprescription. Furthermore, most HR monitor companies have releasedsoftware for converting HR data into an estimate of energy expenditure(e.g., Polar, Kempele, Finland). Several studies have found thatcalibration is required to create a curve between the subject's HR andestimated energy expenditure, involving a submaximal stress test atmoderate activity levels. Additionally, HR monitors are typically onlyaccurate for moderate to vigorous activities, as in lower-intensityactivities. Confounds such as stress, emotions, caffeine intake, ambienttemperature, or illness may have a significant impact on a person's HRand may therefore skew results.

Chest-strap HR monitors can be a burden to participants because of theconstriction required across the chest to maintain good skin contact.Electrode-based HR monitors are difficult to wear, as placement, skintreatment, and irritation can be significant issues and detriments tolong-term wear. Subjects have shown poor compliance at wearing heartrate monitors in free-living trials. Additionally, many HR monitorsreceive interference from electrical equipment. Thus, signaltransmission is prone to interference.

Pedometers

Pedometers, by definition, measure footfalls. The advantage ofpedometers is their low cost, ranging from $15 to $300, and wideavailability. In general, pedometers are not accurate when used foractivities that do not involve footfalls (e.g., weight lifting, biking,household activities). Even for ambulatory activities, pedometers havebeen found to be inaccurate at both counting steps and assessingdistance walked.

In most cases, pedometers (at the higher end) can be accurate atcounting steps, although they are much less accurate at predictingenergy expenditure, even during walking, with error rates of ±30%.Whilst a pedometer can be used as a coaching or self-monitoring tool tohelp people set goals and increase their physical activity levels, theydo not measure the intensity, duration, or frequency of physicalactivity.

Global Positioning System (GPS) Monitors

Several devices based on GPS are known that compute speed and distancetraveled and, from that information, estimate calories expended for aparticular activity (e.g., walking/running, road biking). The accuracyof these products is only beginning to be assessed adequately. Even foroutdoor activity, where the GPS signal is strongest, some researchindicates that these products may overestimate energy expenditure exceptfor fast walking. Although GPS receivers have become quite wearable forshort durations, long-term wear may be uncomfortable. Furthermore,because the monitors only work outdoors and for activities involvingtrue translational motion, these devices have significant limitationswith respect to being a suitable free-living monitor of energyexpenditure. Most currently available devices either report theirresults on the device itself or to a personal computer.

Multisensor Devices

Most of the single-sensor based systems that are appropriate forfree-living activities involve surrogates for energy expenditure, e.g.measuring steps, motion, heart rate, location on the planet, or expiredoxygen. All of these quantities provide indirect measures of energyexpenditure.

Low motion might indicate rest or it might indicate physical activityusing a part of the body far from the accelerometer. Moderate motionmight indicate physical activity or it might indicate riding in a movingvehicle on a rough road. By adding another variable, such as heart rate,these different contexts can be disambiguated. For example, riding in acar will typically induce lower heart rates than moderate physicalactivity, and subjects at rest will typically have lower heart ratesthan those performing low-motion physical activity. By taking advantageof the science of data fusion, multisensor systems typically achievehigher accuracies than single sensor systems while typically keepingoverall costs moderate.

Like single sensor devices, multisensor devices require sensors in skincontact which may be inconvenient or impractical for the type ofactivity being monitored.

Another multisensor system is the Garmin® Forerunner, which utilizesGPS, heart rate, and optional foot pod and biking cadence/speed sensorsto provide “fill in” data if the OPS signal drops out.

A further multisensor monitor is the SenseWear® Pro3 (BodyMedia Inc.,Pittsburgh, Pa.). The SenseWear® armband (SWA) is a small, wireless, andwearable body monitor worn on the back of the upper right arm. The SWAutilizes a combination of sensors. A proprietary heat-flux sensormeasures the amount of heat being dissipated by the body by measuringthe heat loss along a thermally conductive path between the skin and avent on the side of the armband. Skin temperature and near-armbandtemperature are also measured by sensitive thermistors. The armband alsomeasures galvanic skin response (the conductivity of the wearer's skin),which varies as a consequence of physical and emotional stimuli. Atwo-axis accelerometer tracks the movement of the upper arm and providesinformation about body position. Additionally, a wireless display deviceis available that can be worn as a watch or clipped to clothing thatdisplays the calories burned, steps taken, and minutes spent in moderateand vigorous physical activity for today, yesterday, and from the time atrip button was pressed.

The SWA utilizes pattern detection algorithms that utilize thephysiologic signals from all the sensors to first detect the wearer'scontext and then apply an appropriate formula to estimate energyexpenditure from the sensor values. The armband can recognize many basicactivities, such as weight lifting, walking, running, biking, resting,and riding in a car, bus, or train. Other activities are classified intocombinations of these basic activities; for example, baseball could bebroken down into a combination of mostly near-restful activity andrunning. The armband can be worn comfortably during a person's normallife and does not require any time in the laboratory for uncomfortablemeasurements. Laboratory tests indicate that the device is accurateacross a broad range of activities and performs well when compared toDLW in diabetic and obese subjects with only an 8% average error.

Accelerometers

Accelerometers operate by measuring acceleration along a given axis,using any of a number of technologies, including piezoelectric,micromechanical springs, and changes in capacitance. Often, multipleaxis measurements are bundled into a single package, allowing two andthree axis accelerometers. The major function of accelerometers is thatthe sensor converts movements into electrical signals that areproportional to the muscular force producing motion. Most accelerometerscompute energy expenditure by first rectifying the accelerometer signaland then integrating to compute accelerometer counts. Typically, thesecounts are then multiplied by a constant and added to a separateconstant to compute energy expenditure.

Moreover, accelerometer equations have been developed for specificactivities (e.g., walking and running, sometimes rest) and do notestimate other activities accurately (e.g., stationary biking,elliptical trainer). Additionally, accelerometers are subject to motionartifacts from activities such as driving in a car or riding on a train.The consensus appears to be that for activities composed entirely offlat-ground ambulation and rest, accelerometers can provide objectivemeasures of activity. Advantages of these types of activity monitors arethat they are low to moderate in cost ($50 to more than $1000) and aretypically relatively easy to use. Because of the complex nature of someof these devices, as well as the size, subject compliance can sometimesbecome an issue.

More complex equations for estimating energy expenditure from counts arebeing developed in this technological area. In these methods, thecoefficient of variation of the accelerometry signal is utilized toselect an appropriate regression equation. This works because thecoefficient of variation of regular walking activity is lower than forfree-living activities such as house cleaning. Essentially, this ideautilizes two aspects of a signal: first to classify and then to predict.

Additionally, it is known that the indirect process of determiningposition from accelerometry data (and accelerometer-based systems [e.g.inclinometers]) is problematic. Errors rapidly accumulate during theintegration process and additional information (such as initialconditions) are required for determination of integration constants.Consequently, attempts to track motion by integration of even the mostaccurate accelerometer signals have been unsuccessful unless low-passfiltering is permitted at each integration or very high quality,expensive and bulky equipment is used. For the purposes of exergamingwhere an unknown range of non-cyclical movements will occur and thegamer must be free to move unrestricted, neither approach is feasible.

Multilocation Devices

Given that some of the problems of predicting energy expenditure frommotion come from an activity that utilizes a part of the body not beingmeasured (e.g., stationary biking), one solution is to utilizeaccelerometers on multiple parts of the body. Two devices, the DynaPort(McRoberts, B V, The Hague, The Netherlands) and the IDEEA monitor(MiniSun, Fresno, Calif.), utilize this technique. The IDEEA monitorclassifies more than 30 activities, with high reported accuracy, andutilizes five accelerometers attached via medical tape to the chest, theunderside of each foot, and the front of each thigh. Wires connect theaccelerometers to a belt-worn recorder. The accuracy of the deviceappears to be good, as they are reported to be accurate to within 10%for energy expenditure for some activities. In general, these devicestend to be expensive (more than $1000) and have a significantease-of-use problem. Many single-location devices are seen asunattractive and inconvenient by the user, especially those that requiretaping multiple electrodes to locations only accessible when the user isdisrobed.

An example of a known system for monitoring the exertion of a user isdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,637, which comprises one or moresensors attached to a user for measuring the user's motion. An algorithmis used to determine what kind of activity the user is doing, and atwhat level of intensity, based on the sensor measurements. A level ofoverall exertion (e.g. number of calories burned) is then estimated froma look-up table, matrix, formula, or decision flowchart based on thedetermined type and level of exercise.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternativemethod and apparatus for measuring the total expended energy of a movingbody that, in at least one embodiment, improves over the prior art.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention there isprovided a method of measuring expended energy of a moving body,comprising the steps:

-   -   i) providing at least one first sensor for measuring position        data and/or orientation data and/or dynamic data of a first part        of the moving body;    -   ii) providing at least one second sensor for measuring relative        position data and/or orientation data and/or dynamic data of a        second part of the moving body, wherein the second part is        moveable relative to the first part and connected to the first        part by a first resistive deformable element;    -   iii) using the at least one first sensor to make a first        measurement of the position and/or orientation and/or dynamics        of the first part over a period of time and subsequently        calculating a global expended energy of the first part relative        to a reference frame from the first measurement;    -   iv) using the at least one second sensor to make a second        measurement of the position and/or orientation and/or dynamics        of the second part over said period of time and subsequently        calculating a relative expended energy of the second part        relative to the first part from the first and second        measurements, wherein the calculation includes the energy        required to deform the first resistive deformable elements when        moving the second part relative to the first part; and    -   v) calculating the total expended energy of the moving body by        summing the global expended energy with the relative expended        energy;        -   wherein the at least one first sensor comprises a global            positioning system (GPS) sensor and/or an inertial            measurement unit and/or a first plurality of reference            indicia measurable by an image capture device; and    -   the at least one second sensor comprises an inertial measurement        unit and/or a second plurality of reference indicia measurable        by an image capture device.

Thus the method provides a convenient and accurate method of measuringtotal expended energy of a moving body that is particularly suited tomonitoring a moving human during exercise. The method according to thefirst aspect of the present invention may be performed outside of a labfor a relatively low cost in comparison to prior art methods. Theresistive deformable bands add an additional resistive force whichincreases the energy required to move the second part relative to thefirst, thereby making exercise more effective. The additional energyrequired is factored into the total calculation of energy expenditure.

In a preferable embodiment, the method further comprises the steps:

-   -   vi) providing at least one nth sensor for measuring relative        position data and/or orientation data and/or dynamic data of an        nth part of the moving body, wherein the nth part is moveable        relative to an ith part, where n>2 and i<n;    -   vii) using the at least one nth sensor to make an nth        measurement of the position and/or orientation and/or dynamics        of the nth part over said period of time and subsequently        calculating a relative expended energy of the nth part relative        to the ith part from the ith and nth measurements;    -   and    -   wherein the step of calculating the total expended energy of the        moving body comprises summing the global expended energy with        all calculated relative expended energies for each nth and ith        part.

Thus the moving body can be treated as a large kinetic chain comprisingmany parts, and the method may be used to calculated the total expendedenergy of the whole moving body.

In a preferable embodiment, the nth part is connected to an ith part byan nth resistive deformable element. Thus, some or all of the moveableparts of the moving body may experience additional resistance tomovement thereby requiring more energy to move. All the additionalenergy required to deform the resistive deformable elements is includedin the calculation of total expended energy.

Preferably, each at least one second sensor, and any nth sensor present,is arranged to produce a three-dimensional rotation matrix for each ofthe second and any nth part. Further preferably, each three-dimensionalrotation matrix is updated by the respective sensor periodically. Eachthree-dimensional rotation matrix is preferably updated by therespective sensor 100 times per second.

In one preferable embodiment, the at least one first sensor ispositioned close to the centre of mass of the moving body.

Preferably the moving body is a moving human body, and furtherpreferably, the step of calculating relative expended energy of thesecond part relative to the first part and/or any nth part relative toany ith part, if present, includes using inertial characteristic dataassociated with the second and any ith part, where the inertialcharacteristic data includes the relative masses of the body partsand/or the mass moments of inertia of each body part. In a particularlypreferable embodiment, the inertial characteristic data is obtained, atleast partly, from a data table.

In a further preferable embodiment, the method further comprises thestep of running a forward dynamics simulation of the moving body toproduce a second calculation of total expended energy, and iterativelyimproving the simulation using the first calculation of expended energy.

In any embodiment, the calculated global or relative energy ispreferably derived from the integral of a power-time measurementobtained from said first, second and any nth measurement.

In a particularly preferable embodiment, the first resistive deformableelement and any nth resistive deformable element is an elasticated band.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an apparatus for measuring expended energy of a moving body,comprising:

-   -   at least one first sensor for measuring position data and/or        orientation data and/or dynamic data of a first part of the        moving body;    -   at least one second sensor for measuring relative position data        and/or orientation data and/or dynamic data of a second part of        the moving body, wherein the second part is moveable relative to        the first part; and    -   a first resistive deformable element for connecting the second        part to the first part, wherein the first resistive deformable        element is arranged to deform and act to resist deformation when        the second part is moved relative to the first part;    -   a control unit communicably coupled to the at least one first        and second sensors to receive measurement data therefrom;    -   wherein the at least one first sensor is arranged to make a        first measurement of the position and/or orientation and/or        dynamics of the first part over a period of time and transmit        the first measurement data to the control unit;    -   the at least one second sensor is arranged to make a second        measurement of the position and/or orientation and/or dynamics        of the second part over said period of time and transmit the        second measurement data to the control unit; and    -   the control unit is arranged to calculate a global expended        energy of the first part relative to a reference frame from the        first measurement, calculate a relative expended energy of the        second part relative to the first part from the first and second        measurements, wherein the calculation of relative expended        energy includes the energy required to deform the first        resistive expended energy includes the energy required to deform        the first resistive deformable element when moving the second        part relative to the first part, and calculate the total        expended energy of the moving body by summing the global        expended energy with the relative expended energy;    -   wherein the at least one first sensor comprises a global        positioning system (GPS) sensor and/or an inertial measurement        unit and/or a first plurality of reference indicia measurable by        an image capture device; and    -   the at least one second sensor comprises an inertial measurement        unit and/or a second plurality of reference indicia measurable        by an image capture device.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises an nth resistive deformableelement for connecting the nth part to an ith part, wherein the nthresistive deformable element is arranged to deform and act to resistdeformation when the nth part is moved relative to the ith part.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises at least one nth sensorcommunicably coupled to the control unit for measuring relative positiondata and/or orientation data and/or dynamic data of an nth part of themoving body, wherein the nth part is moveable relative to an ith part,where n>2 and i<n;

-   -   wherein the at least one nth sensor is arranged to make an nth        measurement of the position and/or orientation and/or dynamics        of the nth part over said period of time and transmit the nth        measurement to the control unit subsequently calculating a        relative expended energy of the nth part relative to the ith        part from the ith and nth measurements; and    -   wherein the step of calculating the total expended energy of the        moving body comprises summing the global expended energy with        all calculated relative expended energies for each nth and ith        part.

Further preferably, the sensors are arranged on, or form part of, anitem of clothing, and the moving body comprises the wearer of the itemof clothing. The sensors are preferably arranged on the item of clothingsuch that, when worn, the at least one first sensor is arranged tomeasure position data and/or orientation data and/or dynamic data of theLumber vertebrae of the wearer, and the at least one second sensor isarranged to measure position data and/or orientation data and/or dynamicdata of the Thoracic vertebrae of the wearer.

Each sensor is preferably connected to at least one other sensor by acable, wherein the cable is arranged to carry electrical power to thesensors and/or allow the transfer of data between the sensors.

Preferably, the apparatus further comprises a transmitter communicablycoupled to the sensors, wherein measurement data is transmittable to thecontrol unit via the transmitter.

In a particularly preferable embodiment, the apparatus according to thesecond aspect of the present invention is used to perform the methodaccording to the first aspect of the present invention.

In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an exercise system comprising:

-   -   an apparatus according to the second aspect of the present        invention;    -   a computer system loaded with a game and in communication with        the apparatus; and    -   a display unit communicably coupled to the computer system for        displaying the game;    -   wherein the measurements made by the sensors are used by the        computer to control the game, and the calculated total expended        energy of the moving body is used as part of the game.

Preferably, the game comprises several stages that are completed uponthe total expended energy exceeding a predetermined threshold.

In one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method ofmeasuring expended energy of a moving body (and associated apparatus forperforming the method), comprising the steps:

-   -   (i) disposing at least one first sensor on or adjacent a first        part of a moving body for measuring position data and/or        orientation data and/or dynamic data thereof;    -   (ii) disposing at least one second sensor in a handgrip device        held by hand of the moving body for measuring relative position        data and/or orientation data and/or dynamic data thereof,        wherein the handgrip is moveable relative to the first part and        connected thereto by a first resistive deformable element;    -   (iii) using the at least one first sensor to make a first        measurement of the position and/or orientation and/or dynamics        of the first part over a period of time and subsequently        calculating a global expended energy of the first part relative        to a reference frame from the first measurement;    -   (iv) using the at least one second sensor to make a second        measurement of the position and/or orientation and/or dynamics        of the hand over said period of time and subsequently        calculating a relative expended energy of the hand relative to        the first part from the first and second measurements, wherein        the calculation includes the energy required to deform the first        resistive deformable element when moving the hand relative to        the first part; and    -   (v) calculating the total expended energy of the moving body by        summing the global expended energy with the relative expended        energy;    -   wherein the at least one first sensor comprises a global        positioning system (GPS) sensor and/or an inertial measurement        unit and/or a first plurality of reference indicia measurable by        an image capture device; and    -   the at least one second sensor comprises an inertial measurement        unit and/or a second plurality of reference indicia measurable        by an image capture device.

Further aspects of the present invention are defined in the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention are further described hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1A is a front view of an item of clothing comprising a plurality ofsensors in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, andFIG. 1B is a rear view of the item of clothing of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a human body represented as akinetic chain of movable segments;

FIG. 3 is a graph comparing mechanical power output of the upper bodyderived using inverse dynamics in accordance with the present inventionand calories consumed (derived using indirect calorimetry) duringrepeated high-intensity interbal training in a boxing activity;

FIG. 4A shows an apparatus including a belt and handpieces connected tothe belt by resistive deformable elements for use with the presentinvention;

FIG. 4B shows a user wearing the apparatus shown in FIG. 4A; and

FIGS. 5 to 11 show various views of an embodiment of a handpiece for useas part of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention seeks to provide a method and apparatus forcalculating the total energy expenditure of a moving body, such as thehuman body. In particular, the present invention models the moving bodyas a kinetic chain of connected segments that are movable relative toone another. The mechanical work of such a movable body is equal to thesummation of the internal and external work done. The latter isdependent on the movement of the centre of mass (COM) relative to theenvironment (i.e. a reference frame), while the former is related to themovements of the segments relative to the COM and one another. The totalkinetic energy of such a multi-link system can therefore be described asthe sum of:

-   -   a) the kinetic energy of the segments arising from their change        of speed with respect to the overall COM (internal work done);        and    -   b) the kinetic energy of the overall COM with respect to the        environment (external work done).

External work is readily and easily measured using global positioningsystems and/or accelerometers, for example, but measurement of internalwork is less straightforward.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show front and rear views of an item of clothing 10 forthe upper body, which comprises a plurality of sensors 20 a-g. Eachsensor 20 a-g may comprise one or more inertial measurement units (IMU)and/or a plurality of reference indicia, such as light emitters orreflectors that are measurable by an image capture device, such as avideo camera. In a preferred embodiment, each sensor 20 a-g comprisesthree IMUs, namely, a triaxial gyroscope, a triaxial accelerometer, anda triaxial magnetometer. Additionally, a GPS sensor (not shown) or oneof the sensors 20 a-g may be used to make global measurements of the COMof the entire body for calculation of external kinetic energy (globalkinetic energy). Preferably then, one of the sensors is positioned closeto the centre of mass of the moving body to obtain the globalmeasurements. Since the COM will be inside the body, the sensor shouldbe placed close to the COM location and preferably calibrated to moreaccurately reflect the position, orientation and/or movement of the COM.

In alternative embodiments, the sensors 20 a-g may be on any base layer,rather than an item of clothing. In other embodiments, the sensors 20a-g may be adapted to be strapped onto a movable body individually andseparately.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, adjacent sensors 20 a-g areconnected by a cable 22 for data and electrical power transfer betweenthe sensors 20 a-g. In preferred embodiments, the cable 22 is coiled andembedded in the fabric of the item of clothing 10 or equivalent baselayer.

Additionally, a base unit 24 is connected to the sensors 20 a-g andhouses a microcontroller for receiving measurement data from the sensors20 a-g and a transmitter, such as a Bluetooth or short distance RFtransmitter, for transmitting measurement data (to a central controlunit, for example).

In the preferable embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the sensors arearranged as follows:

Sensor Approximate Location 20a Spinous process of Lumber vertebrae 20bSpinous process of Thoracic vertebrae 20c Immediately below the deltoidtuberosity on upper right arm 20d Midway point between ulnar process andstyloid process at distal end of lower arm 20e Immediately below thedeltoid tuberosity on upper left arm 20f Midway point between ulnarprocess and styloid process at distal end of lower arm 20g On base ofoccipital bone (attached via a head band)

Each sensor 20 a-g is arranged to make measurements and produce arealtime three-dimensional 3×3 rotation matrix corresponding to theorientation of the corresponding segment (i.e. the sensor location). Anexample of such a 3×3 rotation matrix is given below.

Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Row 1 r11 r12 r13 Row 2 r21 r22 r23 Row 3 r31r32 r33

Each segment therefore has a rotation matrix assigned to it and thesensor updates this matrix periodically (100 times per second, forexample). With known (or closely approximated) segment lengths, it ispossible to build up a kinetic chain of the body so that each segment ortracked body part has measured positional data in the global system inx, y and z dimension.

FIG. 2 shows a human body represented as a schematic kinetic chain madeup of segments. The segments shown in FIG. 2 are representative of bodyparts, as identified in the table below.

Segment Corresponding body part 30a Foot 30b Shank 30c Thigh 30d Pelvis30e Lumbar and Thoracic Spine 30f Pectoral Girdle 30g Upper arm 30hLower Arm and Hand 30i Head 30j Cervical Spine

In this arrangement, column 1 of the rotation matrix for a given segmentgives the global orientation of the long axis of the corresponding bone(indicated as x-axis in FIG. 2).

The above-described method of data acquisition relates to a kinematicanalysis of motion of the moving body. In accordance with the presentinvention, the kinematic model is then supplemented with inertialcharacteristics, such as the relative masses and/or the mass moments ofinertia of each segment. These characteristics may be obtained by directanalysis, or perhaps more conveniently, from data tables, such aspublished cadaver studies. Standard inverse dynamics calculations arethen adopted to determine joint moments and forces, which in combinationwith the data from the kinematic model, will allow individual jointpower output to be derived.

Inverse dynamics is the calculation of the (otherwise unknown) forceswithin a body based upon the (observable) kinematics of that body. It isbased on Newton's laws of motion for a particle, applied to the motionof arbitrarily shaped bodies by Euler.

In the context of the present invention, each segment 30 a-j representsa body part which is modeled as a rigid object, e.g. the forearm. Eachlink between adjacent segments 30 a-j represents a mobile connectionbetween the two segments 30 a-j, which is typically a joint, e.g. theelbow. Each segment 30 a-j is modeled to have a fixed mass located as apoint mass at its COM, and all joints are considered to be hinge (orball and socket) joints. The moment of inertia of each segment 30 a-jabout its COM (or about either proximal or distal joints) is consideredto be constant during the movement. Additionally, the length of eachsegment 30 a-j is considered to remain constant during movement (i.e.the distance between hinge or ball and socket joints remains constant).

Each segment 30 a-j has characteristics which influence its movement,but which do not change, namely, mass, location of the COM and themoment of inertia about the COM (i.e. its resistance to angularmovement). These characteristics can be measured for individualsubjects, but generic values are available in data tables which arebased on more easily measurable quantities such as body mass and segmentlength. Each segment 30 a-j also has observable dynamicscharacteristics, derivable from measurement at two or more of threepoints: the proximal joint, the distal joint, and the assumed COM. Thedynamics characteristics for each point are: linear position, velocityand acceleration; orientation, attitude (rotation relative to some‘world’ reference system), angular velocity (change in attitude withtime) and angular acceleration (change in angular velocity with time).These characteristics need not be measured individually. For example,using motion capture one can accurately obtain proximal and distal jointpositions at specific points in time, from which all linear and angulardynamic values can be calculated. Alternatively, using accelerometersand gyroscopes one can measure linear and angular acceleration(respectively), and thus estimate velocity and position3.

Using the measured dynamics characteristics for each segment and inversedynamics, an estimate of the linear force and torque at the proximaljoint can be calculated, provided that the linear force and torque atthe corresponding distal joint is know. Since each proximal joint isalso the distal joint of its parent segment, this means that, one can,in principle, recursively calculate the linear force and torque for eachlink in the model, provided that the linear force and torque is knownfor the end effectors. Newton's laws of motion for a particle, appliedto the motion of arbitrarily shaped bodies by Euler, are the basis ofinverse dynamics.

For a joint between a parent segment and a single child segment, thelinear force and torque of the parent's distal joint are of equalmagnitude to those of the child's proximal joint, but in the oppositedirection, by virtue of Newton's third law of motion.

In accordance with the present invention, one or more pairs of themovable body parts are connected to one another with one or moreresistive deformable elements, such as an elasticated band made, forexample, from rubber. The resistive deformable elements add a resistanceto relative movement of the connected body parts that increases theamount of energy required for relative movement. Thus, if the movingbody is an exercising human, the exercise becomes more difficult and thehuman will inevitably expend more energy to make a movement comparedwith the same movement when no resistive deformable elements arepresent.

The present invention includes the energy required to deform theresistive deformable element(s) when the relevant body parts moverelative to one another when calculating the relative expended energy.Therefore the calculated total expended energy incorporates the workdone required to act against the resistive deformable elements.

In a particularly preferable embodiment, a human user wears a beltaround their waist. The belt has two resistive deformable elementsconnecting the belt to two handles or straps for attachment to theuser's hands or wrists. The user may then move their hands relative totheir waist to act against the restoring elastic forces of the resistivedeformable elements. With appropriately placed sensors, the workrequired to deform the resistive deformable elements can be included inthe relative expended energy calculations of the hands moving relativeto the waist. The calculation of work done in deforming the resistivedeformable elements can be done using known properties of the resistivedeformable elements, such as their dimensions, composition, springconstant and/or Young's modulus, for example.

An example of a suitable apparatus 1 incorporating resistive deformableelements is shown in FIG. 4A. The apparatus 1 comprises a belt 2 (orsimilar band) that is attachable around a user's waist or other part ofthe body, such as the chest. In the example shown in FIG. 4A, the belt 2has a strap 4 that is attachable to a slot 5 by any suitable means forretaining the belt 2 around the user's waist. The strap 4, or the belt 2more generally, may be adjustable so that the belt 2 can comfortably beused on waists of different sizes. Two resistive deformable elements 8,9(e.g. elastic resistance bands) are each attached to the belt 2 at theirfirst ends 8 a,9 a and are attached to handpieces 100 at their secondends 8 b,9 b. The belt 2 may include a first sensor such as a globalpositioning system (GPS) sensor and/or an inertial measurement unitand/or a first plurality of reference indicia measurable by an imagecapture device, for measuring position data and/or orientation dataand/or dynamic data of the user's trunk (which is approximate theircenter of mass). Similarly, the handpieces 100 may each include a sensorfor measuring relative position data and/or orientation data and/ordynamic data of the hands that are holding the handpieces, relative tothe user's trunk, as measured by the first sensor. The sensors on thehandpieces may be an inertial measurement unit and/or a second pluralityof reference indicia measurable by an image capture device.

FIG. 4B shows a user 6 wearing the apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 4A. As theuser 6 moves his/her hands whilst holding the handpieces 100, theresistive deformable elements 8,9 will deform (e.g. stretch) as thedistance between the first ends 8 a,9 a and the second ends 8 b,9 bvaries. Knowing the physical properties of the resistive deformableelements 8,9, the calculation of energy expenditure can include theenergy required to deform the resistive deformable elements. Since thesensors on handpieces 100 will also provide information that will enablethe direction of deformation (of the resistive deformable elements 8,9)to be determined, a more accurate calculation of the energy required todeform the resistive deformable elements 8,9 can be achieved for use inthe overall calculation of energy expenditure. To illustrate this point,one must consider that different muscles will be used to extend (orotherwise deform) the resistive deformable elements 8,9 in differentdirections. Therefore, by measuring the extent of deformation and thedirection and accounting for the physical properties of the resistivedeformable elements 8,9, physiological considerations can provide anaccurate calculation of energy expended by the user in achieving thedeformation.

One or two handpieces 100 may be employed. Similar devices for attachingto other parts of the body (e.g. feet) may additionally or alternativelybe employed, where the similar devices may be attached to the belt (oran additional band) by a resistive deformable element.

Referring to FIGS. 5 to 11, there is shown various views of a specificembodiment of the handpiece 100 of FIGS. 4A and 4B. FIGS. 5 to 11 show alefthand handpiece 100 and it will be appreciated like configuration canbe provided for a right handed handpiece 100.

The handpiece 100 includes a handgrip 101 to be grasped by the person19, the hand 106 of which is shown in FIG. 10. The handgrip 101 extendsbetween a lower end 102 and a spaced apart upper end 103. The handgrip101 is contoured to fit the profile of an attached hand for comfort of aperson 19.

A wrist extension 104 is integrally formed with the handgrip 101 andextends from the lower end 102 of it. The wrist extension 104 is sizedand shaped to abut the wrist 105 of the person 19 beyond their hand 106to prevent or significantly oppose adduction or abduction, and extensionor flexion, of the hand 106 when holding the handpiece 100. That is, thehand 106 and wrist 105 are maintained in a straight position withsubstantially no, or some fixed, adduction or abduction; extension orflexion. In other words, the hand is not moveable relative to the fixedposition holding the handgrip 101. This is most advantageous for thereasons described below.

The wrist extension 104 has an inner facing portion (or inner face) 107to be disposed against the base of the hand 106 and the wrist 105 and tosupport the region to prevent the flexion/extension andadduction/abduction movement. This significantly reduces wrist fatigueof the person 19 using the exercise device 1 with the handpieces 100.The wrist extension 104 has an outer facing portion (or outer face) 108facing in a direction away from said wrist 105. The wrist extension ofthe preferred embodiment is substantially planar.

The outer face is adapted to releasibly receive one end 109 (best shownin FIG. 9) of a resistance band 8/9. The resistance band end 109includes a resistance band connector 110 which is best shown in FIGS. 3,5, 6, 9 & 11. The connector 110 has a body 111 extending between a topend 112 and a lower end 113 where the resistance band 8/9 attaches. Theresistance band 8/9 is able to rotate about an axis parallel to saidresistance band 8/9 but not move away from the lower end 113.

As best seen in FIG. 11, the connector 110 has a substantiallycylindrical extension portion 114 mounted to the body 111 towards thetop end 112. The extension portion 114 projects upwardly and outwardly.It can be seen in the preferred embodiment that the longitudinal axes ofthe body 110 and extension portion 114 are disposed at an angle lessthan 90° to each other. A connector head support shaft 115 extends fromthe extension portion 114. A connector head 116 is disposed on an end ofthe head support shaft 115 at an end distal the extension portion 114.

The wrist extension outer face 108 includes a shaped slot 117 configuredto allow the head support shaft 115 to be retained thereby to able toslide therealong. One end of the slot 117 has an opening 118 to receivethe connector head 116 and the remainder of the slot is smaller than thediameter of the connector head 116 to retain the connector head 116. Alatch plate 119 is disposed behind the slot 117 and extends parallel toit. The latch plate 119 prevents movement of the connector head 116 toofar past the slot 117 so that the head support shaft 115 is in the slot117 so it is retained thereby except at the opening 118.

The latch plate 119 includes a pin 120 extending into the slot 117 andmovable clear of it by pressing button 121. The latch plate 119 isresiliently biased to prevent movement of the head support shaft 115therepast. This allows connection and disconnection of the connector 110from the handpiece 100 and whilst retained in the slot 117, theconnector extension portion 114 is able to rotate about an axissubstantially perpendicular to a plane formed by the outer face 108.Advantageously, the resistance band 8/9 projects away from the wristextension 104 when in use.

A strap 122 is mounted at each end to a respective lower 102 and upper103 ends. The strap is releasibly attached at the lower end 102 and hasan adjustable length. In the preferred embodiment shown, a knob projectsfrom the lower end 102 to retain one of a plurality of apertures alongthe strap.

In addition to reducing wrist fatigue and allowing the connector 110 toswivel clear of the wrist extension 104, the handpiece 100 includesposition sensing and transmission means. Referring particularly to FIGS.7 and 8, a cover 125 forms part of the handgrip 101 covering a cavity126. Within the cavity 126, a position sensor in the form of anaccelerometer in the case of the preferred embodiment, is mounted torecord movement of the handpiece 100 relative to a position receiver(not shown) disposed in the belt 2.

Signals from the position sensor are sent to the position receiverwirelessly and a battery (not shown) and an accelerometer controlcircuit and processor 127 (shown integrated) configured to receive theaccelerometer signals and transmit those to the position receiver in thebelt. A power button 128, USB connector port 129 for programming or dataretrieval (from associated memory in the handpiece 100) and acalibration button 130 are provided. The calibration button 130 isdepressed when the resistance band 8/9 are in a relaxed state or fullystretch so that a base point is determined for movement signals providedby the accelerometer.

In this way, movement of the accelerometer position sensor correspondsto the length of stretching of the resistance bands 8/9. Any preferredwireless handpiece positioning means as desired because the hand pieceallows energy expended without the typical not insignificant energyexpenditure in the flexion/extension or adduction/abduction of the wristwhich is substantially eliminated. The person 19 thus more accuratelycalculates their energy expenditure of the intended anatomical regionsor muscle groups from exercising with the device 1 in stretching theresistance bands 8/9.

The position receiver may have a controller associated therewith totransmit the accelerometer signals to a remote computing device for thatdevice to process and calculate energy expenditure. Alternatively, theposition receiver may compute the movement and associated energyexpenditure of the accelerometer position sensor and send this data tothe remote computing device. The accelerometer controller may also haveassociate memory to retain sensed data for transfer via the USB port129.

In place of the accelerometer may be any inertial measurement unit thatincludes any one or more of an accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometerand/or ultrasound receiver. Additionally or alternatively, a pluralityof reference indicia measurable by an image capture device may be usedin place or in addition to the inertial measurement unit.

Although the use of inverse dynamics in the context of the presentinvention yields good results in terms of the accuracy of energyexpenditure, there are, nevertheless, inherent limitations associatedwith the technique as described below. In accordance with a preferableembodiment of the invention, the additional application of forwarddynamics acts to mitigate these inherent limitations and is discussed inmore detail below.

In a study to demonstrate the accuracy of the present invention, thecalculated expended mechanical energy was compared with collectedindirect calorimetry data. Verification data was collected using aPolar® heart rate monitor, a portable indirect calormietry device(attached by a chest harness) with a flexible face mask (Cosmed K4b2).Simultaneously, in accordance with the present invention, motionmeasurement sensors were placed on anatomical landmarks on the upperbody, belt and hand grips. The participant then played a computerizedboxing game using the motion measurement sensors to control the game,prompting periods of high-intensity exercises followed by periods ofrest. The participant also had resistance bands of randomly allocatedelasticity (low, medium and high) connected between various body parts(e.g. hand and waist) requiring the participant to act against theresistance of the bands during movement. The bands were interchangedbetween sessions such that the participant used each band once.Following each session, the participant was allowed sufficient restbefore repeating the session with another resistance band of differentresistance. The overall time taken for the high-intensity intervaltraining was approximately 20 mins. The calorific values were recordedusing indicted calorimeter and inverse dynamics calculations wereperformed as described above.

The proportion of work done (total expended energy), as measured by thepresent invention, for all time frames, for all subjects, is given inthe table below, for each joint/body part studied.

Proportion of work done (%) Joint/body part Low-stiffness bandHigh-stiffness band Left elbow 10.30 10.07 Right elbow 9.90 11.89 Leftshoulder 14.11 16.32 Right shoulder 17.32 20.14 Left pectoral girdle4.00 4.50 Right pectoral girdle 5.22 7.67 Trunk 39.16 29.40

The results compare closely with a study by Rogers et al. (2003), whoused motion capture to estimate the power in the wrist, elbow andshoulder joints of adult subjects powering wheelchairs. During theRogers et al. (2003) study, it was found that the average rotationaljoint power in the shoulder was 56% higher than the combined rotationaljoint power of the wrist and elbow. In the present study, over thecourse of 30 high-intensity interval training session, the shoulderpower (left shoulder and right shoulder) exceeded the elbow power (leftelbow and right elbow) by 56%, 45% and 61% for the low, medium, and highstrength resistance bands, respectively. The largest proportion ofenergy at any joint was found to be the torso root (trunk). This is dueto the large mass of the torso, as well as the fact that linear force istaken into account here, which represents the work done by the lowerbody in moving the torso. The low-stiffness band appears to illicitgreater mechanical work in the proximal segments such as in the coremuscles (trunk), whereas the high-stiffness band appears to generate agreater proportion of the power from the distal segments.

As shown in FIG. 3, there is a notable correlation between themechanical power output, as calculated using the present invention, andthe calories consumed, derived from indirect calorimetry (correlationcoefficient, R=0.6) indicating that the summed mechanical power isrelated to the calories consumed. There are several reasons why astronger correlation was not obtained. Firstly, indirect calorimetry asused here measures the respiratory ratio between oxygen consumed and CO₂expired and hence does not include calories consumed due to anaerobicprocesses. These brief high-intensity exercise periods will include asubstantial anaerobic load on the muscles and thus the measures ofcalories consumed will be lower than the actual calories consumed. Thereare also limitations of the inverse dynamics technique for derivingmechanical energy expended. These are:

-   -   1. The inverse dynamics approach only measures net joint power        and cannot be used to differentiate between positive and        negative powers. Co-contraction of muscles providing positive        and negative power in the muscles are not represented in the        model (but are inevitable in all human movements); and    -   2. The inverse dynamics method does not include representation        of elastic energy storage and return. It has been found that        structures such as the Achilles' tendon can account for over 50%        of the joint power but only 18% of the total net metabolic        power.

Taken together these limitations will lead to an overall underestimateof the muscle work done. However, many of the limitations of the inversedynamics approach can be overcome with additional use of forwarddynamics. The use of forward dynamics enables the calculation ofexpended energy to consider input joint and tissue loading, muscle fiberand/or tendon force and power, and elastic energy storage and return intendons. These parameters can be combined to simulate and predictexternal (and measureable) variables such as joint kinematics orkinetics. These simulations provide both a consistent mechanicalsolution that can be interrogated at multiple levels (muscle fiber,musculotendon, net joint moment and whole body work). Such simulationsare particularly powerful because they allow for the identification ofcausal relationships between the neural control inputs, muscle force andpower output, and the task performance.

Forward dynamics itself also has inherent limitations. In particular,many of the quantities being investigated cannot be measured (hence theimportance of simulations). Modeling requires assumptions regardinganatomy, muscle physiology and structural and mechanical propertiesincluding the interaction between the model and the ground. However, ifquantities such as muscle work are of interest, confidence in theresults can be gained when:

-   -   Each muscle is excited at the appropriate point in the gait        cycle,    -   The overall mechanics of the movement are sufficiently similar        to the measurable observations,    -   Energy/momentum balances are assured.

Comparisons with experimental observations such as joint powers based oninverse dynamics-based quantities can be used to confirm that theoverall kinetics of the movement are sufficiently similar to theexperimental observations. Similarly, comparisons with joint movementscan be used to confirm that the overall kinematics of the movement arecorrect. Thus by measuring the joint kinetics and kinematics, amechanism is provided to internally validate forward dynamicsimulations, and open up new approaches to the quantification of muscleenergetics during free-living activity.

Whilst the skilled reader will appreciate that variations of the presentinvention are possible within the scope of the claims, the presentinvention requires the measurement of position, orientation and/or otherdynamic quantities of a first body part to create global data which maybe used to calculate external expended energy of the moving body.Additionally, measurements of the position, orientation and/or otherdynamic quantities of a second (and any subsequent) body part may betaken and used to calculate the relative expended energy of those partsof the body, relative to the first part. The sum of these energiesprovides the total expended energy of the body. Considering the humanbody, the above described inverse dynamics model may be used to improvethe accuracy of calculation of energy expended by moving limbs using themeasured data and known or derivable data of limbs and body parts (suchas relative masses and mass moments of inertia). In a furtherimprovement, the total energy expenditure calculation may be done usinga forward dynamics simulation which quantifies the effect of internalgait parameters on external biomechanical variables. In particular, aforward dynamics simulation could be run simultaneously with ameasurement system that implements inverse dynamics. The calculatedenergy values from the inverse dynamics model may then be used toiteratively check the validity of the simultaneous forward dynamicssimulation, where discrepancies between the measured inverse dynamicsand the forward dynamics with respect to joint kinematics and powerwould be fed back into the forward dynamics model to improve itsaccuracy. An additional benefit of utilizing a forward dynamicssimulation in the present invention is that individual muscle data isprovided which may be used to assess the specific effectiveness of anexercise or activity. This may be significantly valuable in quantifyingand monitoring the effect of exercise on physiological conditions suchas T2D.

Both internal and external work are the combination of kinetic andpotential energy. More simply, the work done is not only related toaccelerations but also the distance travelled by that object. Thus, theaccuracy of both calculated internal and external work done will dependlargely on the quality of the positional information captured during thesession. The present invention provides an accurate and convenientmethod and apparatus for measuring total expended energy which may beused to monitor a human subject during exercise or free living. Thus,the present invention allows the specific effectiveness of particularactivities may be monitored in relation to health or physical trainingwhich calorie-based energy monitors are unable to do accurately. Thepresent invention is particularly suited to monitoring the expendedenergy of a person during free living, which lab-based techniques areunable to do.

The present invention may be used as part of a computer-based gamewhereby the user's activity, as monitored by the above-described methodand apparatus of the present invention, controls the game. Inparticular, the user's success in the game may depend on the userexpending a predetermined amount of energy. Such a game could only beplayed correctly when the user was partaking in exercise of a particularintensity level, and thereby form part of a serious exercise regime.This is in contrast to many accelerometer based interactive games wherethe system can be “tricked” into

Throughout the description and claims of this specification, the words“comprise” and “contain” and variations of them mean “including but notlimited to”, and they are not intended to (and do not) exclude othermoieties, additives, components, integers or steps. Throughout thedescription and claims of this specification, the singular encompassesthe plural unless the context otherwise requires. In particular, wherethe indefinite article is used, the specification is to be understood ascontemplating plurality as well as singularity, unless the contextrequires otherwise.

Features, integers, characteristics, compounds, chemical moieties orgroups described in conjunction with a particular aspect, embodiment orexample of the invention are to be understood to be applicable to anyother aspect, embodiment or example described herein unless incompatibletherewith. All of the features disclosed in this specification(including any accompanying claims, abstract and drawings), and/or allof the steps of any method or process so disclosed, may be combined inany combination, except combinations where at least some of suchfeatures and/or steps are mutually exclusive. The invention is notrestricted to the details of any foregoing embodiments. The inventionextends to any novel one, or any novel combination, of the featuresdisclosed in this specification (including any accompanying claims,abstract and drawings), or to any novel one, or any novel combination,of the steps of any method or process so disclosed.

The reader's attention is directed to all papers and documents which arefiled concurrently with or previous to this specification in connectionwith this application and which are open to public inspection with thisspecification, and the contents of all such papers and documents areincorporated herein by reference.

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1. A method of measuring expended energy of a moving body, comprisingthe steps: i) providing at least one first sensor for measuring positiondata and/or orientation data and/or dynamic data of a first part of themoving body; ii) providing at least one second sensor for measuringrelative position data and/or orientation data and/or dynamic data of asecond part of the moving body, wherein the second part is moveablerelative to the first part and connected to the first part by a firstresistive deformable element; iii) using the at least one first sensorto make a first measurement of the position and/or orientation and/ordynamics of the first part over a period of time and subsequentlycalculating a global expended energy of the first part relative to areference frame from the first measurement; iv) using the at least onesecond sensor to make a second measurement of the position and/ororientation and/or dynamics of the second part over said period of timeand subsequently calculating a relative expended energy of the secondpart relative to the first part from the first and second measurements,wherein the calculation includes the energy required to deform the firstresistive deformable element when moving the second part relative to thefirst part; and v) calculating the total expended energy of the movingbody by summing the global expended energy with the relative expendedenergy; wherein the at least one first sensor comprises a globalpositioning system (GPS) sensor and/or an inertial measurement unitand/or a first plurality of reference indicia measurable by an imagecapture device; and the at least one second sensor comprises an inertialmeasurement unit and/or a second plurality of reference indiciameasurable by an image capture device.
 2. A method according to claim 1,further comprising the steps: vi) providing at least one nth sensor formeasuring relative position data and/or orientation data and/or dynamicdata of an nth part of the moving body, wherein the nth part is moveablerelative to an ith part, where n>2 and i<n; vii) using the at least onenth sensor to make an nth measurement of the position and/or orientationand/or dynamics of the nth part over said period of time andsubsequently calculating a relative expended energy of the nth partrelative to the ith part from the ith and nth measurements; and whereinthe step of calculating the total expended energy of the moving bodycomprises summing the global expended energy with all calculatedrelative expended energies for each nth and ith part.
 3. A methodaccording to claim 2, wherein the nth part is connected to an ith partby an nth resistive deformable element.
 4. A method according to claim2, wherein each at least one second sensor, and any nth sensor present,is arranged to produce a three-dimensional rotation matrix for each ofthe second and any nth part.
 5. A method according to claim 4, whereineach three-dimensional rotation matrix is updated by the respectivesensor periodically.
 6. A method according to claim 5, wherein eachthree-dimensional rotation matrix is updated by the respective sensor100 times per second.
 7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the atleast one first sensor is positioned close to the centre of mass of themoving body.
 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the moving bodyis a human body.
 9. A method according to claim 8, wherein step (i)comprises disposing the at least one first sensor on or adjacent a firstpart of the moving body for measuring position data and/or orientationdata and/or dynamic data thereof, and step (ii) comprises disposing theat least one second sensor in a handgrip device held by the hand of themoving body for measuring relative position data and/or orientation dataand/or dynamic data thereof, wherein the handgrip device is moveablerelative to the first part and connected thereto by the first resistivedeformable element.
 10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the atleast one first sensor is attached to a band that is wearable by a user,and the handgrip device is connected to the band by the first resistivedeformable element.
 11. A method according to claim 10, wherein the stepof calculating relative expended energy of the second part relative tothe first part and/or any nth part relative to any ith part, if present,includes using inertial characteristic data associated with the secondand any ith part, where the inertial characteristic data includes therelative masses of the body parts and/or the mass moments of inertia ofeach body part.
 12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the inertialcharacteristic data is obtained, at least partly, from a data table. 13.A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of running aforward dynamics simulation of the moving body to produce a secondcalculation of total expended energy, and iteratively improving thesimulation using the first calculation of expended energy.
 14. A methodaccording to claim 2, wherein the calculated global or relative energyis derived from the integral of a power-time measurement obtained fromsaid first, second and any nth measurement.
 15. A method according toclaim 1, wherein the first resistive deformable element and any nthresistive deformable element is an elasticated band.
 16. An apparatusfor measuring expended energy of a moving body, comprising: at least onefirst sensor for measuring position data and/or orientation data and/ordynamic data of a first part of the moving body; at least one secondsensor for measuring relative position data and/or orientation dataand/or dynamic data of a second part of the moving body, wherein thesecond part is moveable relative to the first part; a first resistivedeformable element for connecting the second part to the first part,wherein the first resistive deformable element is arranged to deform andact to resist deformation when the second part is moved relative to thefirst part; and a control unit communicably coupled to the at least onefirst and second sensors to receive measurement data therefrom; whereinthe at least one first sensor is arranged to make a first measurement ofthe position and/or orientation and/or dynamics of the first part over aperiod of time and transmit the first measurement data to the controlunit; the at least one second sensor is arranged to make a secondmeasurement of the position and/or orientation and/or dynamics of thesecond part over said period of time and transmit the second measurementdata to the control unit; and the control unit is arranged to calculatea global expended energy of the first part relative to a reference framefrom the first measurement, calculate a relative expended energy of thesecond part relative to the first part from the first and secondmeasurements, wherein the calculation of relative expended energyincludes the energy required to deform the first resistive deformableelement when moving the second part relative to the first part, andcalculate the total expended energy of the moving body by summing theglobal expended energy with the relative expended energy; wherein the atleast one first sensor comprises a global positioning system (GPS)sensor and/or an inertial measurement unit and/or a first plurality ofreference indicia measurable by an image capture device; and the atleast one second sensor comprises an inertial measurement unit and/or asecond plurality of reference indicia measurable by an image capturedevice.
 17. An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising annth resistive deformable element for connecting the nth part to an ithpart, wherein the nth resistive deformable element is arranged to deformand act to resist deformation when the nth part is moved relative to theith part.
 18. An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising atleast one nth sensor communicably coupled to the control unit formeasuring relative position data and/or orientation data and/or dynamicdata of an nth part of the moving body, wherein the nth part is moveablerelative to an ith part, where n>2 and i<n; wherein the at least one nthsensor is arranged to make an nth measurement of the position and/ororientation and/or dynamics of the nth part over said period of time andtransmit the nth measurement to the control unit subsequentlycalculating a relative expended energy of the nth part relative to theith part from the ith and nth measurements; and wherein the step ofcalculating the total expended energy of the moving body comprisessumming the global expended energy with all calculated relative expendedenergies for each nth and ith part.
 19. An apparatus according to claim16, wherein the sensors are arranged on, or form part of, an item ofclothing, and the moving body comprises the wearer of the item ofclothing.
 20. An apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the sensorsare arranged on the item of clothing such that, when worn, the at leastone first sensor is arranged to measure position data and/or orientationdata and/or dynamic data of the Lumber vertebrae of the wearer, and theat least one second sensor is arranged to measure position data and/ororientation data and/or dynamic data of the Thoracic vertebrae of thewearer.
 21. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein each sensor isconnected to at least one other sensor by a cable, wherein the cable isarranged to carry electrical power to the sensors and/or allow thetransfer of data between the sensors.
 22. An apparatus according toclaim 16, further comprising a transmitter communicably coupled to thesensors, wherein measurement data is transmittable to the control unitvia the transmitter.
 23. An apparatus according to claim 16, wherein theat least one second sensor is on a handgrip device to be held in thehand of a user for measuring relative position data and/or orientationdata and/or dynamic data of the hand.
 24. An apparatus according toclaim 23, wherein the at least one first sensor is attached to a bandthat is wearable by a user, and the handgrip device is connected to theband by the first resistive deformable element.
 25. An exercise systemcomprising: an apparatus according to claim 16; a computer system loadedwith a game and in communication with the apparatus; and a display unitcommunicably coupled to the computer system for displaying the game;wherein the measurements made by the sensors are used by the computer tocontrol the game, and the calculated total expended energy of the movingbody is used as part of the game.
 26. An exercise system according toclaim 25, wherein the game comprises several stages that are completedupon the total expended energy exceeding a predetermined threshold.